Better Than I Deserve
by pefectlyimperfect
Summary: Rachel Berry is awarded a full scholarship to William McKinley Academy, an elite, all-girls boarding school. What happens when she is assigned to room with Quinn Fabray- the girl who seems to have it all?
1. Prologue

_****__Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, nor any of its characters. _

_Prologue _

"Dad! Daddy! Come here!" exclaimed Rachel.

Her fathers rushed down the narrow staircase of their apartment complex, threw open the front door, and ran out onto the lawn only to find out that no, Rachel was not being kidnapped, nor was she in mortal danger.

"Gessh Rachel," panted Hiram, "you almost gave your Daddy a heart attack."

Leroy shot Hiram an incredulous look before turning toward Rachel and stated, "_I'm _not the one who gained nearly 10 pounds from over-indulging on Krispy Kreme."

Before Hiram could rebuff his statement, Leroy said, "Now Rachel, why were you screaming like someone told you Barbra Streisand just died?" As he looked down for the first time, Leroy finally noticed the large, white envelope that Rachel was eyeing like a newborn baby and grasping tightly in her hands.

Tracking the movement of Leroy's eyes, Hirarm gasped and squealed, "Is that what I think it is?!"

Rachel finally looked up with excitement and trepidation in her eyes, "Dad, I think it is."

"Come on honey, let's open the letter inside," said Leroy as he steered his husband and daughter toward their apartment.

As the pair sat down on the living room couch, the brunette began to pace back and forth, mumbling, "What if they don't accept me? What if I'm not good enough? I think that tour guide had it out for me. What if-"

"Rach, take a breath. Of course you're good enough. Besides, they don't send rejection letters in big envelopes," said Leroy in an exasperated, yet understanding tone.

"Ok," the diva stated with a determined nod.

As she opened the letter, her bottom jaw slowly dropped open and her large, brown eyes began to mist.

_Dear Ms. Berry,_

_Congratulations! The Admissions Committee of William McKinley Academy is pleased to offer you a place in the graduating class of 2012. This offer of acceptance is evidence that you possess the academic ability and the traits of personality and character which will enable you to benefit from the educational opportunities at William McKinley Academy. It is our belief that an all- girls education will provide you with the skills and confidence to become a leading woman in the 21st century. We look forward to seeing you this upcoming fall._

_Please see the enclosed documents regarding the tuition and technical standards. If you wish to accept this offer, please remit a $25.00 deposit to reserve your place._

_Welcome to the William McKinley Academy community!_

_Sincerely,_

_Constance Figgins, Ph.D._

_Head of School_

Before either of Rachel's fathers could express their joy, the brunette fainted in true diva fashion. While Leroy went to make sure that Rachel did not hurt herself, Hiram picked up the fallen pieces of paper. With a gasp, he too collapsed in a crumpled heap next to his daughter.

"What in the world is wrong with these two?" Leroy thought as he shook his head.

Finally, he picked up the twice dropped papers and read:

**Financial Aid Award Notice**

_We would like to offer you the Elizabeth von Hoff Alumna award. This prestigious award is given annually to the student with significant financial need and demonstrated academic excellence. This scholarship will cover the cost of tuition, room and board, travel expenses, and all other fees. _

_Total Award- $57,381.00_

Needless to say, the papers lay fallen next to all three Berrys for a third time.

* * *

"So you're shipping me off to a boarding school in the middle of No Where Land, Massachusetts," Quinn stated in a barely there whisper that belied her emotions.

"Listen, Lucy-"

"Do _not _call me that, _mother,"_ Quinn hissed. The blonde quickly stood from the stool she was perched on at the kitchen island and said in a rapidly elevating voice, "Not only are you guys getting rid of me, but you're sending me to an all girls school. I can't believe this."

Before Quinn could storm off, her father grabbed her wrist, turned her around, and sneered into her ear, "Don't you _ever_ speak to your mother or me in that tone again."

As the stench of Whiskey wafted through the air, Russell Fabray continued with his rant, "I am about to spend a small fortune so that you can attend one of the most elite secondary schools in the country. I will _not_ have you behaving like a spoiled, insufferable brat."

Trying to assuage the impending argument, Judy Fabray quickly chimed in, "Lu-Quinnie, think of it this way. You lost all of that weight and with your new nose, you're finally as pretty as you are supposed to be. Now you can have a fresh start at a new high school. Not only that, but you will have the chance to rub elbows with the daughters of some of the most influential people in the world. There's even an all boys school a few miles from McKinley and your sister is in Cambridge."

None of this eased her worries, except the part about being near Frannie. Quinn knew that no amount of arguing or protesting would prevent her parents from sending her away. In a defeated voice, the blonde asked her father, "How did I even get in? I didn't write any essays or have an interview."

Judy quickly strode to her husband's side and kissed him on his cheek, before facing Quinn and gushing, "Oh sweetie, your father is closing a deal with McKinley's Chair of the Board's husband. He was surprised to hear that you had not already applied. He was able to pull some strings and get you in and you'll even be in the same class as his daughter! Isn't that wonderful?"

Not hearing anything redeeming about her entrance into the school, the blonde gathered her admissions packet, politely excused herself, and went upstairs to her bedroom.

It wasn't shocking that her father had somehow used her to close a business deal. Hell, he would probably boast to his future clients about the prestigious schools his daughters attend- one at Harvard, now the other at McKinley. Although, the lack of concern for her feelings is disconcerting, Quinn can't help but wonder if her parents did her a favor. The less she has to see them, the better.

After she turned on her MacBook Air, the blonde opened up her web browser and went to McKinley's website. She quickly found the link listing all of the fall sports and enrolled herself in the pre-season for field hockey. If she was definitely going away, she mind as well go as soon as possible.


	2. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, nor any of its characters. _**

_August 15, 2008 10:03 am_

"If you need anything, use the credit card." Those were the departing words of her parents after they deposited her belongings and released her into the care of Emma Pillsbury- House Director.

No "I love you". No "We'll miss you". Not even a "goodbye". All Quinn received was a credit card before her parents hastily drove away to catch the next flight out of Logan International Airport.

"Well Quinn, it looks like you are the first person to arrive," Emma stated in ragged breaths after hauling the last of Quinn's luggage into her room. "We don't have too many freshmen who volunteer to participate in pre-season. I'm so glad I get to have you in my dorm. We're going to have an awesome year! Would you like some help unpacking, or how about a tour?" Emma asked.

"No thank you Ms. Pillsbury. I think I can manage on my own." After spending two hours on the flight with her parents, she was ready to be alone.

"Call me Emma, dear. We will have a dorm meeting tonight at 7:00pm. If you need anything before then or want to take a look around campus, just let me know. My door is always open."

After Emma left, Quinn resigned herself to organizing the room. Unlike her large bedroom at home, this room did not contain an en suite bathroom. In fact, this room was about half the size of her bedroom. To make matters worse, she had to share it with an unknown roommate.

Looking around, the blonde noticed two twin beds, two bookcases, two desks, and...one closet. Opening the closet, Quinn chuckled sardonically, "You have got to be kidding me." Not only was the entire closet barely the size of her shoe closet, but also stuffed into it were two dressers and two clothes racks. There wasn't even enough room for a full-length mirror. Instead, a small, horizontal mirror lay attached to the wall above the dressers. Quinn decided that she would tackle the closet last. Instead, she began to mentally organize how she would fit all of her belongings into the tiny room.

* * *

_August 15, 2008 4:25 pm_

"I knew we should have left earlier. Fathers, you know how imperative it is for me to be punctual, especially for the start of a new term. And daddy, I can't believe you wasted valuable time taking the scenic route through Pennsylvania. This is not a road trip! I was supposed to be there at 10:00 am when the dorms opened and now I may quite possibly be late for my very first dorm meeting. I-"

Cutting into Rachel's rant, Hiram turned around from the front passenger's seat and said with a frown, "Rach, your Daddy and I only wanted to spend more time with you. You don't know how hard it is to send your only baby girl away to boarding school. We know what a wonderful opportunity this is, but it doesn't make it any easier."

Rachel petulantly huffed and crossed her arms. "But you guys are staying the whole weekend. We can spend time together then."

"Sweetie, it's not the same," lamented Leroy.

Noticing the sadness in her Daddy's voice, the brunette decided that if her fathers wanted a few more hours with her, she would gladly do so.

* * *

Arriving with an hour to spare before the dorm meeting, Rachel and her fathers entered the dorm with the intent to finish unpacking and organizing her belongings as quickly as possible. After retrieving the key from the nice red-haired woman wearing plastic gloves who mumbled something about unsanitary freshman after her greeting, the Berry's went to find Rachel's room.

Before Hiram could unlock the door, Rachel grabbed his wrist and halted his movements. "Dad! My roommate could be indecent. Let's be polite and knock first!"

Chuckling at his daughter's antics, Hiram knocked three times before finally entering the room. Turning his head toward Rachel and Leroy as he walked in, Hiram said, "Looks like no one is here."

But Rachel heard nothing because as her father opened the door, all the diva could see was glamour. "My roommate must be some kind of princess," she thought. Everything looked brand new, from the expensive down comforter to the sleek, MacBook Pro. Stepping into the closet, the brunette was blown away. The dual occupancy closet was jammed packed with designer clothes. Being her naturally curious self, Rachel began to inspect the clothing. Burberry, Tory Burch, Vineyard Vines, J. Crew and every other preppy brand that she did not know hung from custom-made hangers. Looking over at her roommate's shoe rack, Rachel noticed a pair of 5 inch, Swarovski studded, Louboutins. What fourteen-year-old owns Louboutins? None that she knew. Hesitantly, the diva opened the top draw of her roommate's dresser. With a blush, she rapidly shut the drawer. Apparently fourteen-year-olds also owned lingerie.

Having embarrassed herself enough for the rest of the day, Rachel exited the closet and was pleased to find that her fathers had unpacked the majority of her belongings. Most of the people at her old school thought she was a diva, but in reality she was only a diva when the moment called for it. Therefore, the brunette insisted on only bringing the essentials. Although she didn't own much, she had everything she needed.

As her fathers began to hang up her clothes, Rachel walked over to her roommate's desk in order to inspect a picture that she had only _now _noticed. Sitting on a bench in what looked like a park, were two blondes wearing identical Harvard sweatshirts. The older of the two had short, choppy hair that was divided into two French braids. She was smirking as if she knew a deep-seated secret that the photographer did not. Nonetheless, her slate colored eyes portrayed a warmth that was otherwise indiscernible from the rest of her features.

Sitting to the left of the smirking blonde was the prettiest girl Rachel had ever seen. Everything about her was effortless- from the cascading, lightly curled blonde locks to the Grecian-inspired, defined cheekbones. Then she noticed the blonde's eyes. Staring back at her were the most gorgeous set of hazel eyes that she had ever seen. Eyes that were wide open with a layer moisture that comes from laughing too hard. Eyes that swirled with amusement at something that the brunette now wished she knew. Rachel never really appreciated the color hazel until now. How could the blonde's eyes be one color, but with all different hues equally expressed? It was because this girl was perfect. Perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect nose. Touching her nose, the diva could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

"Rach, we're about done with your closet. Let's go get your record player from the car and then we will be all done." Leroy said.

Startled from her musings, the brunette accidentally dropped the photo. As she went to pick it up, she noticed the writing on the back.

_Frannie (left) and Quinn (right) Fabray._

Quinn Fabray. That was her roommate's (and prettiest girl she had ever seen) name.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for following this story and a special thanks to FaberryOTP, Glee Girls, and BerryGolden for being my first reviewers. It means a lot! I promise to update regularly!  
**


	3. Chapter 2

_****__Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, nor any of its characters. _

_August 15, 2008 5:48 pm_

Quinn wished she left her copy of _Catcher in the Rye_ back in the room when she decided to take a walk around campus because now she only had twelve minutes to change and look presentable for the dorm meeting. Although she read the book far more times than she could count, something about being sent away to boarding school elevated the connection she felt with Holden Caulfield.

After quickly ditching her purple sundress for a pair of becca blue, chino pants topped with an off-white polo, the blonde began to brush her hair into a high ponytail when she suddenly heard the bedroom door open. The sound of two male voices drifted through the slats of the closet door as she waited anxiously for the first glimpse of her roommate. Quinn knew absolutely nothing about the girl, except that she had horrid taste in clothing from the looks of what hanging in the closet.

"Honey, I'm going to put your record player right here and you can move it later if you need to. Your dad and I should really get going. It's almost 6 o'clock."

As Quinn discretely shifted to get a better look through the slats, she saw the back of a petite girl with long, brown hair.

"I'm going to miss you," Quinn heard the brunette softly whisper.

"Aww baby, come here," the short, bespectacled man said as he reached to embrace his daughter in a hug. "Your daddy and I love you so much and we will be here bright and early tomorrow morning. If you want, maybe we can ask Ms. Pillsbury if you can spend the night with us?"

Wiping what Quinn assumed were tears from her eyes, the brunette sadly joked, "I think it's best I stay here tonight. You know, we Berrys are troupers. Besides, I think it is time for the metaphorical 'parental band-aid' to be ripped off so that I can blossom into an independent woman."

Happy to once again here the long-winded sentences of their daughter, the Berry men engulfed the brunette into a group hug.

On the other side of the closet, the blonde swiftly turned away from the emotional scene. She couldn't see why the brunette was making such a big deal out of leaving her parents. It wasn't like she wouldn't see them tomorrow. Hell, her parents were probably already in Bangkok and she could care less. No- she was done intruding upon the brunette's family moment. The faster they finished their family pow-wow, the faster she could escape from the newfound feeling of entrapment she was experiencing in the closet.

* * *

_August 15, 2008 6:00 pm_

"Welcome ladies to the Windsor House. As many of you know my name is Emma Pillsbury, but please call me Emma. I want to briefly go over some important rules. It may seem like a lot, but remember it is for your safety. Afterwards, we will play some bonding games."

Just when Quinn thought her house director was going to read off what she assumed would be an endless list of rules, Emma began to pass out a stack of pamphlets.

The blonde took one and passed on the rest, snorting as she read the title, "**It's 10:30 P.M. Do you know where ****_your_**** roommate is?**"

Opening the pamphlet, Quinn began to read what she rightfully assumed was a list of rules:

1. Before leaving the dorm and campus, you must sign out and state the time, place you are going, and whom you are going with. Don't forget to sign back in!

are allowed to go off campus before 7:00 pm on weekdays and 10:00 pm on weekends, however your parents must have signed a permission sheet designating where you are and are not allowed to go. If you wish to go into Boston, a fellow classmate must accompany you.

3. Freshmen and sophomores must arrive in the dining hall for breakfast no later than 7:30am. Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

4. Mandatory study hall is from 7:00-9:00 pm. No exceptions!

5. 9:00-10:30 pm is free time. If you wish to visit another dorm you must sign out. Going off campus is not permitted at this time.

6. All students must be in their rooms by 10:30 pm. If you need to shower or brush your teeth, you must do so before 10:30 pm.

7. 11:00 pm is lights out! The house director, assistant, or your proctor will come around to make sure.

8. Minor infractions will be punished according to the house director's discretion. More serious infractions may require a disciplinary hearing.

Before the blonde could process all of the rules, she heard the girl next her snarkily mutter, "Damn, do they wanna know what time I take a shit, too."

Choking on the water she had just gulped down, Quinn turned to her left and was surprised to see that the foul language had come from a demure brunette. Trying not to stare, Quinn noticed that the girl appeared to be about the same age as her and of Hispanic descent.

"Like what you see blondie? Take a picture, it lasts longer."

Before Quinn could respond to the rude Latina, Emma cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"If you have any questions about the rules, please see me after the dorm meeting. Now, I want everyone to go around in a circle and state your name and a brief tidbit about yourself. Who would like to start first?"

And with a hand that rivaled Hermione Granger's as it shot up into the air, Quinn got a full view of the petite brunette that she had seen through the slats of the closet door. Her facial features were schooled into a determined stare as she waited for Emma to call on her, casually biting her full bottom lip, which allowed the dimple in her right cheek to be accentuated. There was something about her that Quinn couldn't quite put her finger on, but it gave the blonde an uneasy feeling. She didn't know if it was the way the brunette anxiously sat at the edge of the seat, bouncing her left leg as if she had to use the bathroom or that her back was ramrod straight, causing a subtle arch in her lumbar region. It could have been the way her hair was pristinely positioned over her right shoulder or quite possibly the way her eyes shone with happiness and excitement that the blonde rarely experienced. All she knew was that she did not like this feeling and needed it to go away.

Seeing that Emma gave her permission to speak, the brunette began: "Good evening fellow dorm mates. My name is Rachel Barbara Berry. Although I am most likely the youngest of the group, I will soon be turning fourteen on December 18th. I reside, or should I say, my parents reside in a Lima, Ohio, a small town 174 miles outside of Cleveland. I am interested in pursuing musical theater and have done so since I was a small child, winning my first singing competition at age two. If any of you would like some pointers regarding your singing techniques, I will gladly provide that service free of charge. I am here for the pre-season in order to expand my talents outside of the musical world."

Quinn had never heard someone speak so much without taking a single breath. All the other girls stared at the brunette slack jawed, until the Latina snidely remarked, "Talk much Berry? Ms. P asked for a tidbit, not your full biography."

Everyone chuckled as the diva hunched further back into her seat looking slightly defeated. Quinn felt a twinge of guilt for laughing at the brunette, but it was better than having the Latina mocking _her_.

"Now ladies, let's not make fun of Rachel's enthusiasm and verbosity." Looking directly at Rachel, the house director said, "Thank you for sharing so much about yourself. I look forward to getting to know you better throughout the year."

As each of the girls took turns telling significantly less details about their personal lives than Rachel, the diva was already starting to feel out of place. She knew that coming from a less wealthy background than most of her classmates would already put her at a social disadvantage, but now it seemed like her personality would make matters worse.

After learning that the cantankerous brunette's name was Santana Lopez, Rachel's interest piqued as her attention turned toward the adjacent blonde.

"My name is Quinn Fabray and I am from New York City."

The diva was seriously disappointed. She was hoping to gather some more information about the elusive blonde. Trying not to be her overly forward self, Rachel decided she would wait until they were both in their room to properly introduce self. Instead, the brunette turned her attention to Emma, who dismissed them from the meeting. Rachel had some serious questions about what was in those pamphlets.

* * *

"Hey blondie, wait up!" yelled Santana as she followed the blonde up the stairs.

Not wanting to be mocked yet again, Quinn turned around with her arms crossed beneath her chest and an arched eyebrow. "Look if you think you can push me around you have another thing coming. I may be new, but I refuse to put up with you or anyone else's bullshit."

Slightly impressed, the Latina said, "Calm your tits blondie. I was just going to say that your name sounds familiar. Did your dad just close a business deal with mine?"

"Oh yeah, your dad's the one who got me into this prison. Thanks a lot," the blonde sarcastically said, but with a much less guarded stance than before.

Santana slowly started to laugh. "I like you- you're kind of uptight but you're cool I guess. And the school's not so bad if you know the right people. My sister went here and took us to the EIL championships four years in a row, which basically makes me royalty. I can show you around tomorrow if you want."

Although she was still hesitant about forming a friendship with the Latina, Quinn acquiesced. Besides, she had nothing planned for the day.

* * *

_August 15, 2008 10:25 pm_

Rachel thought Quinn would be back in the room by now. She was anxious to finally meet and learn more about her. As an only child, she was not accustomed to sharing much of anything and the prospect of having a roommate excited her. Growing up, she didn't have too many friends because most of the kids were wary of her domineering personality. But this year she was determined to make as many friends as possible- starting with Quinn Fabray.

Just before 10:30pm, the blonde casually strolled into the room. All the previous excitement that Rachel felt quickly turned into nervousness, as she and Quinn were alone for the first time. Neither the blonde nor the brunette knew what to say. Instead they timidly stared at one another, until Emma knocked on the door, dragging them from their reverie.

"Just checking to make sure you're both in here," she said as she closed the door.

When Rachel noticed the blonde was not going to make the first move, she got up from her position on the bed and walked up to Quinn, extending her had, "Hi Quinn, my name is Rachel."

Looking back and forth from Rachel's face to her extended hand, the blonde slowly took Rachel's hand and shook it while inwardly rolling her eyes. Her roommate was a total stiff.

"I know. I remember from the dorm meeting," Quinn calmly said.

"I apologize for my long-windedness," Rachel replied, feeling herself blush. "Although quite verbose, I _normally_ do not speak that much. It only happens when I am overly excited or nervous, quite like I am now," the diva finished with her head lowered.

"It's cool Rach. My sister likes to talk in run on sentences too."

Perking up at the use of a nickname, the brunette asked before thinking, "Are you talking about your sister Frannie or do you have other siblings?"

And just like that, the blonde's cheerful demeanor turned into defensiveness before the diva could realize her mistake.

"How would you know my sister's name is Frannie? Have you been snooping through my stuff?" the blonde bit out as she towered over Rachel.

"No, no," Rachel stuttered. "It's just that… I got to the room and all of your stuff was here and you weren't and I just wanted to know a little more about you. I saw the picture on your desk and as I went to put it back, it fell and I saw the inscription on that back with both of your names. I really did not mean to pry, please-"

"Whatever," the blonde snapped. "Just keep your man hands off my property."

To be honest, Quinn wasn't really peeved that the brunette had looked at the picture. She was scared that Rachel had somehow found the journal hidden in the box of those ridiculous pair of Louboutins her mother had insisted on buying her. She would have to find a better hiding place in the morning.

* * *

The girls slowly got ready to go to bed, taking turns changing in the closet. They didn't speak anymore after the brief altercation and when the lights were turned off and they were both in bed, the tension began to eat at the blonde.

"Rachel, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. It's just that I am extremely private and I don't like people touching my stuff."

"It's ok Quinn. And it won't happen again," the brunette softly promised. Her first conversation with Quinn did not go as well as she had anticipated, but Rachel was nothing if not perseverant. She hoped that maybe tomorrow they could start over and begin, what she hoped was a strong friendship.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you again for the reviews and follows :) I am glad you all are enjoying it. And to Glee Girls- Yes they are quite young! But that is the age (and sometimes younger) when children are sent to boarding school. **


	4. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, nor any of its characters._**

She was wrong- so very wrong. Before she could even open her eyes to say good morning to the blonde, it appeared that Quinn had discreetly changed and left for the day.

Rachel had thought all was forgiven between them, but apparently she was mistaken. Last night, she felt like she had suffered from whiplash due to the rapid changes in the blonde's mood. It was slightly puzzling (if not a little bit frightening) how Quinn could go from nervous to friendly, then to open hostility, and finally settled on repentance. She seriously hoped that her roommate was not afflicted with some form of mood disorder.

It was almost a relief to go to sleep so that she did not constantly have to analyze Quinn's behavior. It was so frustrating that she couldn't get a proper read on the blonde that she hardly slept. And when she finally did fall asleep, it was only to wake up and find the blonde gone, as if Rachel had imagined having a roommate. If the brunette didn't see Quinn's belongings on the other side of the room, she would have been convinced that it was all a dream.

Nonetheless, she still felt this strange pull to become better acquainted with the blonde. When Quinn used her nickname, she could barely contain her excitement. Although ultimately causing her to stick her foot in her mouth and reveal her snooping habits, Rachel just could not hide her eagerness to become friends with Quinn. She couldn't help that she wanted things with an almost blind passion. And she definitely wanted Quinn's friendship.

* * *

It felt too early to be getting up and starting the day, but Quinn knew she had to be out of the room before her roommate woke up. She didn't know what happened to her yesterday. Every time she was around the brunette, it felt as if her brain had short-circuited and her emotions were heightened. Instead of trying to figure out where these feelings were coming from, it was easy to assume that they were a result of being in close quarters with someone. She had never shared a room before, so it was only natural to feel slightly off-guard. There was no other logical explanation.

"Blondie! Pull your head out of your ass and help me unload this shit!" the brunette grumbled as she grabbed the bags containing the field hockey equipment and dragged them onto the field.

Snatching one of the bags from Santana's grip the blonde retorted, "Stop. Calling. Me. Blondie." It was bad enough that she was already up at the ungodly hour of 6AM and had not eaten breakfast because the dining hall had yet to open. Now she was stuck with Santana because she was too chicken to confront her roommate.

"Whatever _Quinn_, just get your fat-"

The next word that was about to come out the Latina's mouth promptly died on her tongue at the glare the blonde sent her. She didn't know the blonde possessed the skill to turn her face into such an intimidating expression. Hell, even she couldn't properly glare that hard.

Backtracking, the brunette picked up the stick and ball and casually said, "Just get your gear so we can practice before breakfast."

As soon as the blonde heard the word "fat", it was like every nerve fiber was ignited. Realistically she knew that she was no longer the chubby, insecure girl she used to be, but hearing words like "fat" used in conjunction with her name (even in jest), would not be tolerated. Quinn was many things, but _fat_ was not one of them.

With a renewed sense of vigor that she hadn't felt since since waking up and practically tripping over herself to get out of her room, Quinn picked up her stick and effortlessly dribbled the ball to the center of the field. Ignoring whatever play Santana had decided to work on, the blonde closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of freshly cut grass. After a few moments, she reopened them with a feeling of calmness that she hadn't felt since arriving at McKinley. This is where she belonged- in the center midfield position. Here, she had access to both defense and offense. She was finally in control again.

After relishing in the familiarity of her favorite sport, the blonde began to practice with the ease that comes with being naturally athletic. She discovered that fact about herself when she first decided to loose weight, and now there was no going back. Her lungs thrived off the limited oxygen they were supplied as she ran. Her thighs craved the burn that came from the lactic acid build-up. It was if every adipocyte had magically been eliminated. And it felt so good.

Before she knew it, it was time for breakfast. Santana looked as if she were about to pass out, but Quinn felt like she could keep going if it weren't for the hunger pains making themselves known.

"Damn girl, you're a beast out there! Where did you learn those moves?" the Latina asked with a slight mix of awe and restrained jealously.

The two fell into an easy conversation as they walked toward the dining hall and greedily loaded their plates with the wide assortment of breakfast foods available. It turned out that she and Santana had a lot in common and the blonde found herself enjoying her presence, particularly now that she had stopped incessantly calling her "blondie".

Quinn had almost forgotten about her roommate dilemma until the Latina snorted, "Look at Berry. I'm surprised she can even reach the spoon, she's so short."

Spotting Rachel loading what looked like cantaloupe into a bowl, the blonde promptly jerked her head back down and focused on her food. She really hoped Rachel hadn't seen her because she wasn't ready to deal with that awkward situation yet.

"So, what it's like living with her?" Santana asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I've only lived with her for one night. She's not so bad, I guess," the blonde replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Come on. Don't play that coy shit with Auntie Tana."

The blonde couldn't _help_ but role her eyes. Where did this girl get her slang?

"I'm serious, we barely talked."

But the Latina would not take no for an answer. "Bull. Shit. I've been trying to purge my ears from the monologue she gave last night. I _know _she's a ball of crazy wrapped up in argyle and penny loafers."

Sensing Santana would not stop badgering her, the blonde replied, "I guess her snoring is annoying."

The Latina grabbed onto that information as if the blonde had shown her Pandora's box. "OMG. She really is a dwarf! I bet she sings 'Hi ho' in her sleep too," Santana laughed loudly.

Picking up on the loud laughter coming from the table in the corner, Rachel turned around and spotted the blonde with the rude girl from last night. Tray in tow, the brunette made her way over to their table, relieved that she wasn't going to have to eat alone.

Seeing the brunette's megawatt smile as she strode over to her table, the blonde ran through a list of excuses as to why she had leave.

The blonde was already standing when Rachel reached the table and before she could relay one of her lame excuses, Santana had already started speaking.

"Hey dwarf. I think you forgot your pals, Dopey and Sneezy. Maybe you should go back to that little cottage you call home, because you sure don't belong here."

Quinn saw the brunette's Bambi-like eyes instantly well with tears. Thanks to Santana, she now had a Disney-inspired vocabulary and a roommate who looked pleadingly at her, as if hoping she would reprimand the Latina. Feeling uncomfortable and not knowing what to say, the blonde decided that now would be the opportune time to use one of her lame excuses.

"Sorry Rachel, but we have tickets to see a movie playing in Boston. I'll see you tonight."

Without looking back, the blonde picked up her tray of half-eaten food and briskly walked to conveyor belt used to collect the trash.

After signing out, Santana and Quinn walked to the train station in silence until the blonde all of sudden stopped and waited for the brunette to face her before saying, "Why do you have to pick on her? I mean yeah, she's a little bit of a dork, but she's not that bad."

"Look, I know she's your roommate and you may feel a sense of loyalty to her, but she's a loser. Not only is she weird as shit, but did you know that she's only here on some 'Let me ease my guilt for being in the top 2% scholarship'? Like I said, she doesn't belong here. The sooner she recognizes her place, the better. And unless you want to be dragged down with her, I suggest you disassociate yourself."

Begrudgingly, the Latina's words stayed with her throughout the rest of the day. Having felt the sting of similar words thrown at her for years, she could empathize with the diva. However, no matter how bad she felt for her, there was no way she would jeopardize her fresh start at McKinley. Rachel would have to handle her own issues.

* * *

After Quinn and Santana left her standing alone and in tears in the dining hall, the brunette no longer had an appetite. Hating to waste food, she discreetly placed her tray onto the conveyor belt and ran down the stairs and back to her dorm.

Flopping onto the bed, Rachel burrowed her head into her pillow and started to cry. Her shoulders shook with unrestrained sobs, as her tears soaked her new pillowcase. After the wave of tears, the brunette sat up and used her hand to wipe the residual drops from her face. Saltiness prickled the sides of her mouth as she fought hard not to resume crying.

She was trying so hard to be likeable, but it seemed as if the Latina had a vendetta against her for no reason. And then there was Quinn. For some reason, the blonde's persistence upon ignoring and evading her stung more than any of Santana's harsh words.

Not wanting to be subjected to any more cruelty, Rachel decided she would take up her dads' offer to stay with them.

"What changed your mind, pumpkin?" her daddy asked as he picked up her overnight bag. Something about the diva's demeanor had changed.

"Nothing, daddy. I just missed you guys last night and I figured I mind as well stay with you as much as I can before you leave." Rachel didn't want her fathers to worry about her or else they might speak to Emma or worse, make her leave school. No, she could handle this on her own and use it as a life experience to improve her acting skills.

Although not entirely convinced, her daddy said, "Alright. Your dad and I will take all the time we can get. And you know you can tell us anything, right?"

"Yes, daddy. I promise I will let you know if something is bothering me."

* * *

When Rachel did not return for the night, the blonde became nervous and slightly afraid. She wish she had gotten Rachel's cell phone number, just to make sure she was still alive. The blonde chuckled to herself, "Of course she's still alive. Now look who's the drama queen."

Nonetheless, when Emma knocked on the door at 10:30pm, the blonde arose from her bed and in a rushed breath said, "I don't know where Rachel is. She hasn't been back all night."

With wide eyes and a sharp squeak, Emma said, "Oh my! I completely forgot to tell you. Rachel will be staying with her fathers until Monday morning."

"Did she say why?" the blonde asked with trepidation.

The house director shook her head. "Only that she missed them and wanted to spend as much time as possible. She really is a sweet girl. Even baked me 'Thank You for being My House Director Cookies'."

As the house director nibbled on said cookie as she shut the door, the blonde turned off the lights, deciding to go to bed early. She was a little irritated that the brunette didn't even bother to check in before disappearing with her fathers. "Whatever, she's not your responsibility," she thought before punching her pillow into a sleep-perfect shape and falling asleep.

* * *

"You ladies are the most pathetic excuse for field-hockey players I have ever seen in my life! I own turtles that can run faster than you! Now finish those ten laps before you find out _why_ I'm not allowed back in Russia! And you in the highlighter pink shorts! Pick up the pace or GET OFF MY FIELD!"

Rachel was in absolute hell. The years spent perfecting her elliptical routine were no match for the pure torture that Coach Sylvester was inflicting upon her body. She really wished she had heeded the warnings on the notice she received regarding pre-season. Foolishly, she thought the hour-long morning elliptical exercises would provide her with enough stamina.

As the diva completed her final lap, she collapsed onto the soft grass with heaving breaths. She survived and it seemed as if the hard part was over, until she heard Coach Sylvester scream over the megaphone, "Line up you babies! That was just the warm-up! Now run your sweet tushes to Starbucks and bring me back a skinny, venti, no foam, hazelnut macchiato, with soy milk and 5 shots of espresso. And if one drop spills, I will personally make you crawl to Columbia and hand pick the espresso beans!"

The brunette had no clue where the closest Starbucks was. She was seriously considering calling a cab when she was out of sight of the insane coach.

Noticing that the other girls had already started running, Rachel mustered the energy to slowly follow behind them.

It had almost been twenty minutes since the diva began the run and there was still no Starbucks in sight. In fact, she couldn't see any of the other players. Slowing down to a brisk walk, the diva began to internally panic. She had no idea where she was. What if there was some crazed murderer or rapist hiding behind the trees? She wanted to kick her self for not thinking to bring her rape whistle.

Out of nowhere a tall blonde appeared before her and startled her so much that she screamed, "Stay away! I know jiu-jitsu and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"What's a jiu-jitsu? Is that like some new kind of jigsaw puzzle? Because my little sister has one of those, but everytime I try to put it together my cat eats one of the pieces. I think he's trying to put it together in his stomach," the blonde finished with a thoughtful look.

The brunette blinked slowly and then opened and closed her mouth, finding that she had no words to reply.

The blonde took that as a hint to introduce herself. "My name's Brittany. I saw that you were missing and Santana said that you probably went back to your cabin with the rest of the dwarves. Do you think you can introduce me? I'd really like to meet Dopey? Although- your legs are kinda long for a dwarf…" the blonde trailed of with her head tilted toward the right, appraising Rachel's legs.

At the mention of Santana and "dwarf", Rachel crossed her arms and huffed, "I'll have you know that I am the appropriate height for my age and gender. In fact, Santana isn't much taller than myself. And I do not reside in a cabin- I am from Lima, Ohio."

Feeling slightly disappointed that Rachel was not indeed one of the seven dwarves, the blonde perked up at the mention of Lima.

"Oooh Lima! They make really good beans!"

Rachel couldn't help but laugh. The blonde seemed genuinely excited and harmless, plus she was the first student to be nice to Rachel since she arrived at McKinley.

"Well Rachel, we should really get going because we still have two miles left. I can keep you company if you need to walk?" the blonde ask.

Smiling for the first time in days, the brunette happily accepted Brittany's offer.

"How come I didn't see you in the dorms or at breakfast this morning?" the diva asked as they started a slow jog.

"Oh, I don't live on campus. I'm a day student! The school wouldn't allow me to bring Lord Tubbington, so my parents said that I could compute because we don't live that far."

The diva looked up toward the blonde and slowly asked, "You mean commute?"

The blonde chuckled and said, "If you say so Rachel."

* * *

Rachel and Brittany were the last to arrive back from the run which totaled approximately eight miles. The blonde had to practically drag the diva onto the field.

The rest of the players were lining up to begin a drill, when Santana came to a stop in front of the pair.

"Hey Britt, what are you doing hanging out with the dwarf?" The Latina gave Rachel a look of pure disgust.

"She's not a dwarf. She's from the place where they make lima beans. Oooh, Rachel! Do they make those magic beans that Jack used to grow the beanstalk?"

Before Rachel could refute the blonde's inquiry, Santana grabbed Brittany's hand and steered her away saying, "Come on Britt. Let's be partners."

In the distance, the diva could see Quinn narrow her eyes as Santana mouthed, "Sorry".

As everyone paired up, it became apparent that Quinn and Rachel were the last group left. There were only four freshmen and it seemed that the upperclassmen stuck together.

The blonde slowly made her way over to the diva. The unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach made itself more pronounced the closer she got to the brunette, until finally she was standing just a foot away from the girl.

"Hey Rachel," the blonde greeted, not quite meeting the brunette's eyes.

"Hello Quinn," the diva replied tightly.

"How was your stay with your fathers?" the blonde asked, trying to be polite.

"It went very well. I quite enjoyed their company for the past two days. It's a shame they could not stay longer or else you could have had the room to yourself, as I am sure you enjoyed," the diva shot back with an edge to her voice. She didn't know why, but the blonde's nonchalance was beginning to irk her. How could she pretend as if she didn't idly stand by while Santana insulted her?

Sensing the attitude in the diva's voice, Quinn bit back, "Well you should have told me you weren't coming back. I don't want to be blamed if you end up missing. And you're right- I did enjoy the room to myself. I was finally able to get some sleep because I didn't have to listen to your obnoxious snoring."

That was it! Rachel had had it! She was finally going to give Quinn a piece of her mind. "Don't you-"

"Oompa Loompa and Barbie!" interrupted Coach Sylvester.

After looking around to see whom the coach was referring to, the brunette pointed to herself as she faced Coach Sylvester.

"Yes you! I don't see any other inhabitants from Loompaland! Your spray on tan is making me nauseous." the coach shouted.

Rachel ears tinged bright red as she and the blonde made their way over to the coach. She couldn't believe the nerve of that coach! How dare she insinuate that her tan was anything but natural! She was regretting signing up for pre-season each passing minute and she had half a mind to call her contacts at the ACLU to report the highly inappropriate remarks regarding her Black heritage.

As the coach instructed them on the play she wanted Quinn and Rachel to demonstrate to the team, the brunette embarrassment heightened. Quinn was good. No scratch that, Quinn was amazing. The blonde moved with such poise and agility, it was almost as if her feet were not touching the ground. And Rachel felt like a sideshow freak in comparison.

The rest of the girls gathered around and watched in muted amazement as the blonde ran circles around the diva. Even Coach Sylvester looked slightly impressed.

"Barbie! Do the same drill with Cassie!"

Cassie was slated to be team captain, but Quinn easily out-ran and out-performed the girl.

"That's a wrap! Ladies, hit the shower. Quinn, come with me!" Coach Sylvester demanded.

* * *

It was 10:30 pm and Quinn _just_ made it back to the dorm. Luckily, Coach Sylvester provided her with a note that outright forbade Ms. Pillsbury from punishing her. The house director didn't even question why she was late and gave her extra time to take a shower and prepare for bed.

The blonde dashed into her room to grab her towel and other shower items before running toward the bathroom. She could tell that Rachel had wanted to talk to her, but she needed at least five minutes of peace before having what undoubtedly would be a long conversation. Quinn knew that she and Rachel would have to come to some sort of agreement if she ever wanted to be comfortable in her room, but she couldn't ignore Santana's advice. There was no way she would become a loser too, especially not after what the coach told her this evening.

Back in the room, Rachel wasn't faring much better than the blonde. In practice, it seemed as if Quinn were trying to be polite, but it only made the brunette angrier. And that was even scarier because normally she was forgiving to a fault, but somehow the blonde had gotten under her skin.

Just when she was about to plan her speech to give to the blonde, said girl walked into the room draped in an oversized towel.

The brunette quickly averted her eyes and remained quiet as Quinn got dressed in the closet. When the blonde finally emerged, the diva sat up on the bed as the blonde sat at her desk.

"How was the rest of practice with Coach Sylvester?" the brunette asked, trying to test the waters with a neutral topic.

The blonde let out a sigh a relief. She thought Rachel would go straight for the jugular.

"It was good. She had me do a few more exercises and when I didn't show any signs of tiredness, she told me that I reminded her of a young Sue Sylvester," the blonde chuckled. "I don't know if I should be offended or what. Then she said if I keep it up, she would make me team captain."

The brunette's face split into a toothy smile. She didn't know why, especially after the blonde's treatment toward her, but she was genuinely happy for her roommate.

"That's great Quinn, you deserve it. I've never seen anyone move like you did. You really are amazing," Rachel gushed.

For some reason, Quinn believed Rachel and it sent a warm feeling that lessened the unease she felt in her gut. She sent a tentative smile to the brunette that she hoped relayed her gratitude. However, Rachel's next words doubled uneasiness that she thought had subsided.

"Pardon my frankness, but I do not understand you or your actions. When we are alone, you are very cordial, quite like you are now. However, whenever you are around Santana or others, it's almost as if I do not exist," the brunette finished sounding slightly hurt.

"Rachel," the blonde sighed as she pinched her nose and closed her eyes, "I don't know how to say this to you without hurting your feelings. It's just that being around you will not be good for my reputation. Everyone already knows you, and not in a good way. Once school starts, it's only going to get worse." Quinn really didn't want to be the one to tell Rachel, but she owed her at least that. Maybe the diva could tone it down some before school started and it wouldn't be as bad.

The brunette couldn't even look at Quinn anymore. Instead, she got under the covers and faced the wall before saying, "So from what I have just concluded, you just don't like _me."_

"It's not _you_. I just…maybe if you didn't speak like a character out of a Bronte book…or you know, wear different clothes, people would be more receptive toward you." The blonde hated what she was telling Rachel. It almost sounded like something her parents used to tell her- "Maybe if you ate less" or "Maybe if you wore contacts". Regardless, it worked for her, so it could quite possibly work for the brunette as well.

"Quinn you just don't get it. That _is _me," Rachel sighed. She was done with this conversation. She didn't think her self-esteem could take any more criticism. Silent tears fell from her eyes as she wondered if her pillows would perpetually smell like the Atlantic Ocean for the remainder of the school year.

**A/N: Sorry for the longer wait this time and thank you for all of the reviews. It's going to be hard on Rachel for a little while longer, but I promise Quinn will come around. And it will NOT take 30+ chapters for them to get together.**


	5. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, nor any of its characters._**

It was a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon and the first day Rachel had off from field-hockey tryouts. Her muscles ached from the insane exercise routines she was forced to do. Each step she took was a reminder of the hell she went through and how awful she was at the sport. The brunette really had no idea what field hockey even was until her daddies took her to buy the equipment.

Rachel originally signed up for pre-season because she thought it would be a great way to make friends before the school year (along with the added bonus of a cute uniform skirt). How was she supposed to know that only girls attempting to make the varsity squad came to pre-season? And how could she had ever predicted the slew of snide remarks and laughs at her expense? Granted, she was used to being an outsider at her other school- always seen as the quirky and loud diva, and while that didn't garner her many friends, it also didn't result in the constant teasing she was now experiencing. She really had no idea how to handle this situation.

Luckily, the brunette had today off to mentally recoup and relax. The team roster didn't come out until later that week, allowing her to shift her focus to the first day of school, which just so happened to be tomorrow. Rachel decided that since the bookstore was finally open, she would purchase all of the items necessary for class so that she could get a head start on the material. Plus, she loved the feeling of back-to-school shopping. Something about buying brand new pencils, pens, highlighters, notebooks, and star-shaped post-its made her heart squeal like a kindergartener on the first day of school.

After making her way to the bookstore, Rachel looked through the glass doors and saw that a small crowd had already formed. The diva recognized a few of the girls from her dorm and some from pre-season, but the majority were all new faces. Some of them were with their parents, while others looked just as lost as she did.

As a group of girls brushed passed her in their haste to enter the store, the brunette realized she had been standing outside the door for at least five minutes. Rachel straightened her back and held her head a fraction of an inch higher as she entered the store. While she didn't get her new start during field-hockey try-outs, she would start the academic year off on the right track.

The bookstore was small and quaint compared to her pre-conceived imagery of the place. As she slowly walked through various sections of books from Art History to Journalism, the brunette internally smiled at thought that she would eventually take some of these classes. There were so many options and she wanted to take them all, well all of them except Physics. That was the class she was dreading the most.

Behind the shelves of the journalism books were an assortment of William McKinley apparel and gifts. The brunette slowly brushed her fingers past the collection of mugs and coffee cups before making her way to the hoodies with her school's emblem in the upper right hand corner. Although her fathers told her not to buy them anything, she knew that they would be proud to wear her school's clothing. Rachel quickly shuffled through the hoodies until she located two large-sized ones that read "William McKinley Academy Dad". She chuckled to herself at the thought of her daddy asking if she could it exchange it for one that said "William McKinley Academy Daddy".

Once Rachel deposited the clothing into her basket, she made her way over to the Literary Studies section, seeing as English was her favorite subject. The diva was glad she had the sweatshirts to cover up the used books she would be purchasing. There was no way her textbook allowance from her scholarship could cover the almost double cost of new books. Maybe she could scrape the bold, yellow "USED BOOK" sticker off in her room before anyone noticed.

As she peered at the selection of books, searching for the ones needed for her Literature honors class, she overheard a pretty girl with dirty-blonde hair say, "Dad, just get the used book. It's cheaper."

The girl looked to be around the diva's age, maybe slightly older. Her father was dressed in a pristine, pin-striped suit. He wore a gold Rolex on his right wrist and an NFL championship ring on his left pinky. Rachel was shocked to hear that the girl asked for a _used_ book. From the looks of her father's wardrobe, she could probably purchase the entire bookstore without making a dent in his wallet.

The girl caught Rachel's eye and offered her a lazy smile before nodding toward the books Rachel had in her hand and saying "You'll love Lit. I honors. Mr. Shue was my favorite teacher."

As Rachel watched the girl and her father walk away, her mood instantly brightened. She wondered if, just maybe, the entire school wasn't filled with self-entitled, spoiled brats like Santana. All around her, girls and their parents were picking up a mixture of used and new books. The brunette placed her used copies of various novels on _top _of the hoodies, feeling slightly less embarrassed than when she first walked toward the section.

* * *

_August 19, 2008 5:54 am_

She couldn't believe Rachel's alarm went off at 5:30. No, not 5:30 pm, but 5:30 in the damn morning. It was bad enough that she had to check-in for breakfast at 7:30am, but being awakened before the sun was out sucked whatever ounce of excitement (if any) existed within her.

The blonde was not looking forward to her first day of school. It was just the start of a four-year journey of striving for seemingly unattainable goals. Her parents expected top of the class, straight A+ performance, with no room for anything less. It wasn't that she couldn't do it, but the burden of what would happen if she _didn't _would make anyone less than enthused to get out of bed.

Not that she was concerned, but Quinn wondered where Rachel went to so early in the morning. She hadn't seen the brunette all-day yesterday and when she finally did, the diva was pretending to be asleep. She could tell from the lack of soft snores coming from the mass underneath the covers.

So when Quinn noticed that Rachel's school bag disappeared with the diva, the blonde figured Rachel was pulling her own avoidance act. She knew the advice she gave Rachel stung, but it really was meant to help. The brunette would just have to learn for herself once school started.

After lying in bed for an hour, the blonde decided to head to breakfast early and eat in peace. She hadn't had much alone time since she arrived at school and a solitary breakfast seemed very appealing at this point.

The breakfast options were surprisingly vast. Belgium waffles, grits, eggs, even various types of bacon were available in a buffet layout. Quinn quickly grabbed her tray and hurried past the tempting smell of the bacon to the more appropriate selection of fruit.

After a quick scan of the cafeteria, she saw no sign of Rachel. Furthermore, after finishing her meal, the blonde noticed the diva was still eluding her during the school wide orientation.

Yet again, she couldn't figure out why she cared so much. It was so annoying to be constantly plagued with thoughts of what the brunette was up to that she just wished to see the girl and have her curiosity sated.

Rachel never made an appearance at their joint lockers and was eerily in none of her classes. That is until she hastily stumbled into her last class of the day, Literature I Honors, just before the warning bell rang. Sitting adjacent to the last empty chair in the classroom was Rachel. The blonde's curiosity was sated- the brunette was still in school- but that didn't mean she actually wanted to interact with her _in public. _

"Welcome, Ms...", the curly haired man looked at his roster before returning his gaze toward the blonde and finishing, "…Fabray. I'm Mr. Schuester. We have just finished introducing ourselves and by the looks of it you are the last student. Please, have a seat next to Ms. Berry."

The brunette sent a charming smile to the teacher at the mention of her name, before sending a slightly more cautious and fading smile toward the blonde.

After settling in next to Rachel, Quinn turned her attention toward the peppy man as he explained the workings of the class.

"This course is very unique in comparison to your previous English classes or even the standard Literature I course."

Taking a seat, not on the chair, but on top of the empty desk next to Rachel and Quinn's, Mr. Schuester continued, "My teaching style is more of an open forum with the occasional use of the Socratic method. I am not here to lecture you or bore you with useless facts. Rather, I would like us to work together and explore the depths of the novels together. You will get to know each other's thought processes in ways you don't even know your own."

Without warning, the teacher hopped off of the desk and clapped his hands in a show of excitement before finishing his speech.

"Ladies, take a look at the person accompanying you at your desk. She will be your partner for the remainder of the school year. All assignments, projects, rough drafts, you name it, will be done with your partner. This literary journey cannot be done alone!"

To her credit, Quinn remained calm while she internally cursed herself for being late to class. Rachel, on the other hand, looked as if someone had just told her she had to repeat pre-season.

**A/N: I can't apologize enough for how long it's taken me to update this. I didn't know it's been since April. If you are still reading, thank you so much! All I can say is that I have a two month hiatus from work and other responsibilities before I begin med school, so this will be my main hobby and I hope to finish it within that time frame :D **

**I know this chapter is shorter and had very little Faberry interaction, so I will be posting another in a few days with more dealings between the girls. This will be a journey of misunderstanding/animosity, friendship, and eventual romance- so somewhat slow. But like I said before, it will not take 30+ chapters for the romance. I've turned on the PM so hopefully this will allow me to respond to your reviews (which I am very grateful for), although I am not sure how that part works yet. **

**Guest- No Rachel will not automatically forgive Quinn. You're completely right in that she wouldn't deserve that and it is very unrealistic. However, Quinn has some past issues she is dealing with, and she is very young. At this age, she hasn't really grasped how her words/actions really affect people. **

**klop- Rachel is standing up to Quinn in her own way. She's not conforming to what Quinn believes will make her fit in better. However, she's still at an impressionable age and craving to be liked. Plus, there's that weird pull toward Quinn ;)**

**GleeFan- I hope the response to the other two reviews makes sense. And Rachel will get more courage, but remember she is new and very insecure about belonging in this environment. Quinn on the other-hand is immature, but will not be cruel. She will experience a lot of conflicting emotions and actions as she tries to find her place. **

**Please let me know if you prefer longer wait periods with longer chapters or more frequent updates with shorter chapters. Thank you all again!**


	6. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer- I do not own Glee, nor any of its characters.**_

_August 22, 2008_

Rachel absolutely abhorred Mr. Schuester and his "brilliant" idea. Okay, abhorred wasn't necessarily the right word, but she did strongly dislike him and the dirty blonde haired girl that said he was the best teacher ever.

It was bad enough that she had to share a room with Quinn, but now she had to share a tent with the girl because her teacher thought it would be a great bonding experience.

And that wasn't the only injustice. Her other classmates who weren't in Lit I honors were able to choose their bunkmates and where they slept. On a normal day, Rachel would never wish to sleep in a motel or a cabin, but those options were like the Ritz compared to the tent with barely enough room for two sleeping bags and Quinn's twin sized air mattress. She wished she had thought to bring an air mattress.

"Rachel! Don't be such a brat. It won't be that bad," said Mercedes as she grabbed an oar and wetsuit before making her way toward the changing room with Rachel jogging to catch up with her.

"Oh, that's fairly easy for you to say. You're staying in the motel with Tina!" the brunette huffed indignantly.

Mercedes and Tina were her new friends that she met in Geometry Honors. Mercedes was a day student who had a stint as a child actress, while Tina was another scholarship student from San Diego.

"At least you don't have to worry about bed bugs," said Tina in an attempt to cheer up the diva.

"You would think with the amount of money it costs to go to this school, they could, at the bare minimum, spring for the Holiday Inn," said Mercedes through the partition as she zipped up the wetsuit.

Rachel drowned out the rest of the conversation as she got dressed. She was extremely grateful that she met Mercedes and Tina. After pre-season, she thought everyone she encountered would immediately hate her like the field-hockey team, and while Brittany was nice, Santana seemed to steal her away every time the blonde got near Rachel.

Hence, it was a relief to know that most of the students at McKinely were friendly or at the very least disinterested in her affairs because they had their own friends and life to worry about. Now if Santana and the rest of the team could get the memo, then all would be well.

As the three girls made their way toward the rafts, Tina asked, "So have things gotten better with Quinn?"

The brunette mistakenly let slip a few days ago that she and Quinn were not getting along. Originally, she had wanted to keep what happened to her a secret, because as awful as those girls were, she really didn't want to start any trouble or make enemies.

However, Quinn automatically drew attention to herself, and therefore Rachel by association. The blonde had easily entered the spotlight at McKinley because of her prowess on the field. Field hockey was like football on a big college campus at McKinley, and the self-entitled_ Cheerios_, were treated like movie stars.

Not many freshmen were rumored to make the varsity squad, let alone in a starting position. With such accolades, the blonde was able to sit with the seniors at their lunch table and even enter the "The Room", specifically created for seniors only. No other underclassman knew what "The Room" contained or even looked like.

Because no one knew much about the blonde or they were too nervous to approach her, Rachel became the next target.

Her classmates pestered her with questions like, "What's it like to live with her? What's she like? Is she really as good as they say?" Some even had the nerve to follow her into her dorm, attempting to sneak a peek at their shared room.

Even Mercedes and Tina were guilty of goading her for information. That is how she let slip that the two rarely even spoke. Frankly, it was exhausting trying to keep up with her secrets.

"No. We rarely talk except for few occasions when we have to interact during class," Rachel responded.

"Dang girl. If she were my roommate, I would hop, skip, and jump all over that bandwagon."

Rachel and Tina both chuckled at Mercedes joke, and Rachel replied, "We really just don't have that much in common."

To be honest, Rachel really did not know what she and Quinn did or did not have in common. But, it was better to tell a small, white lie rather than unleash a negative image of the new "it" girl.

* * *

_August 23, 2008 12:38 pm_

"Omg, please tell me you saw Berry's face when those rapids knocked her out of the raft," Santana said as she stuffed her mouth with fries.

"No, because I was too busy paddling for the both of us," retorted Quinn.

"Come on, you know there is no way this body was made to do physical labor. Fuck, I wish I had my camcorder. That shit was priceless. She was all like…"

Doing her best impersonation of a flailing fish, Santana stood on the table and pretended to choke, "Hel…Help me! Oh my god…" spluttering, "Oh my god, I think it went up my no-".

"Miss, you're not allowed to stand on the tables," a cafeteria attendant interrupted the brunette's performance.

"Fine," the Latina replied with an attitude as she climbed down, "Damn, these people sure know how to suck the fun out of everything."

Going back to her fries, she peered up and asked Quinn, "You want some? I know that rabbit food is not going to fill you up."

"Nah, I'm good," the blonde replied. Santana was right, she was still hungry, but there was no way she would eat those fries.

She also didn't respond to the Latina's imitation of Rachel. After a week of listening to Santana and her teammates' jokes, she learned to just laugh and nod along. She didn't take pleasure in making fun of the brunette, but she didn't have the_ cojones,_ as Santana would say, to stop them. The blonde figured she wasn't as bad as the others as long as she didn't instigate the remarks.

Thunder started to cackle as the two finished their food and exited the cafeteria to head toward their next activity.

"What activity is the midget doing now?" the brunette asked with a familiar glint of mischievousness as she kicked a few stray rocks along the path.

"I'm not sure. I think she may be bike riding. Why?" the blonde questioned, not quite liking where this conversation was headed.

Looking up at the rapidly darkening clouds Santana leered, "I have an idea. Come on."

* * *

"No," the blonde simply stated.

"What do you mean 'no'?" the brunette countered. "This is a brilliant idea."

"There's no way I'm doing that. I don't want to get in trouble and I'll be the first person she blames," the blonde said as she stepped outside of the tent.

"Come on Q, I know you're not afraid of man-hands."

Quinn grimaced, regretting that she told Santana that she called Rachel "man-hands". It was like gasoline to the fire pit of _nicknames _the Cheerios developed for the brunette and she hated that Rachel may find out that particular one came from her.

"Of course I'm not scared of her. If you want to do this, you can do it on your own. I'm not going to be late to our rock-climbing class."

Leaving Santana standing in the tent, the blonde stormed off without a glance back. She seriously hated what she turned into sometimes.

* * *

_August 23, 2008 10:14 pm_

As Quinn and Santana made their way back to the campsite from the last activity of the night-making smores- a small crowd had formed outside of Quinn and Rachel's tent.

A sense of foreboding awakened within the blonde as she slowly approached the tent. There was no reason people would be gathered outside the tent to stare at Santana's little prank.

Before she could see what had everyone's attention, Rachel, along with Mercedes and Tina, arrived at the center the circle.

Just as she arrived at the center as well, Quinn immediately caught Rachel's eyes. Tears were already threatening to fall from the brunette's eyes as she locked her gaze upon the blonde's remorseful hazel orbs. Immediately, Rachel turned her attention to look at Santana and shook her head at the ghost of a smirk on the Latina's lips. Rachel hastily ran away, with Tina and Mercedes following behind the diva to assuage her embarrassment.

After the brunette's departure, the blonde was finally able to take in what caused Rachel to become so upset.

Instead of a few wet items of clothing outside of the tent, Quinn found Rachel's sleeping bag drenched and covered in mud. Worse, Santana had arranged the brunette's modest undergarments and clothes in the shape of a person. Every last article of clothing was ruined and all of the diva's private belongings were out for display, including her training bra and flower-print underwear.

"What the hell Santana?" the blonde spat as she turned toward the brunette.

"Q, calm down. Everyone's watching," the Latina hushed.

Grabbing Santana by her wrist, the blonde marched her toward the back of the tent.

"You said you would just put a few of her items outside to get wet. You ruined all of her clothes. Did you see her face? She knows it was you, and now she thinks I was in on it too. Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone?" the blonde chastised.

"She has no proof. Besides that was epic. I can't wait to tell the other girls."

"Ladies, what's going on over here? Rachel said that someone threw all of her clothes out in the mud. Who did this?" the blonde overhead the chaperone questioning from the front of the tent.

The pair discreetly joined the rest of the girls as everyone looked in opposite directions in response to the chaperone's inquiry.

Santana nudged Quinn and whispered, "See I told you she can't prove it was us."

The blonde subtly shoved the Latina away before snapping, "You mean she can't prove it was you. I wasn't involved. Besides, even if she has no proof she still _knows._"

"Pshh, you're guilty by association. We're a team…remember?"

Quinn felt murderous. She was a minute away from punching the girl. How stupid could she be? This whole Rachel business was getting out of hand.

As some of the girls helped Rachel pack up her belongings, Quinn overheard the chaperone tell Rachel, "I'm sorry we don't have any extra beds in the motel or cabins. Here are some blankets. I'll make sure your things are cleaned before we leave tomorrow. Do you have any idea who would do this?"

Although Rachel had a strong feeling that Santana (and probably Quinn) were responsible for this prank, she shook her head. There was no way she would falsely accuse someone based on speculation.

"Okay, dear. I'll be sure to write this incident up. And if you need anything, come see me," the chaperone replied with a sad smile.

Rachel made her way into the "hell tent" and attempted to form a makeshift bed out of the meager blankets. It was still pouring outside, and the blankets were already becoming damp from the moisture on the ground.

Instead of sadness, she felt a surge of anger as she looked at the blonde's dry and clean belongings. There was no way this was just a random prank.

Just as she lied down, Rachel heard the teeth of the tent's zipper being pulled apart as a blonde head emerged inside.

She couldn't believe she ever thought this, this _bully_, was ever beautiful. Her actions negated any modicum of respect or admiration the diva felt toward the blonde.

"Rachel-" the blonde started.

"Save it Quinn. How- how could you?" The diva felt her voice hitch. There was no way she would let the blonde hear her cry. Her only reprieve was that it was dark in the tent.

"I didn't- " the blonde tried again.

"No. You don't get to explain or make excuses. I _know_ it was you and Santana. You wouldn't have looked so guilty if you didn't do anything wrong. This is it- I'm done. I didn't tell on you guys, but if you or any of the other Cheerios harass me again, I will go straight to the headmistress," the brunette finished, slightly out of breath.

She had never felt so enraged in her life and the increasingly wet blanket was fueling her temper.

Quinn resigned herself to the fact that Rachel would not hear her side of the story, so she turned on her flashlight to quickly change into her pajamas. As she took off her socks, she felt a small puddle of water gathering near Rachel's blankets.

Once again, the blonde felt that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her gut when she was near Rachel, except this time she held no pretense as to what caused it. Guilt was threatening to swallow her whole.

"I know you don't want to speak with me, but please-" Quinn didn't even know what to say, so she tried again, "The ground is soaking wet and you'll get sick if you sleep down there and you'll miss class and…just…you can sleep on the air mattress with me. There's enough room. Please," the blonde lamely pleaded.

Rachel resented Quinn even more. How could the blonde have known what to say to cause her to even entertain the idea of sleeping next to her? The idea of missing class was the only thing that made her acquiesce.

Without acknowledging the blonde's request, Rachel grabbed the one blanket that was not wet and joined Quinn on the air mattress. It was a tight fit, but it was so much better than the wet ground. The idea of being this close to the blonde would have normally made her nervous, but she was too emotionally drained to explore her sleeping situation any further.

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, the scent of Quinn's rose oil fragrance invaded her senses, steadily masking the smell of dampness in the air and a soft, "I'm sorry" flitted into her waning consciousness.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews and alerts :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you think. **


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